-BOOK ONE-
In the Pylysky Sphere there is magic, music, life and love. But there is also darkness and destruction. In a small once great kingdom, after over a decade of silence, a new voice is about to rise and reclaim its power...
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Anike of Wytt...
Wild flashes of light scarred the sky over head, red and purple struggling for dominance, as clouds of an unnatural kind rolled in. Thunder roared shaking the ground. Anike ducked down, her arms cradling her head and clamped down over her ears.
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She wasn't fully sure what was happening but she knew one thing: she was out of her depth. She could handling waking at dawn and then waking and dressing a cranky princess. She could handle training, and lessons and jabbing herself with a sewing needle every day. She could even handle DeKnave's look of disdain when she so much as looked at him funny, knowing that if she stepped a toe out of line it would mean punishment, but she'd never been punished because she's never been out of line. But this was something out of another world. She was more than out of line. The line could have been on the moon at this point she was so far over and beyond it. Her only thought left? Get out. And fast.
Was her destiny to be constantly on the run? She had run from the palace guard, run from DeKnave and here she was running again. When would it stop? Why had she done this?
She remembered her doubts from before when she had tried to take on the king. He had killed her parents supposedly. Supposedly she was the rightful heir to Wyttfeather's throne. What proof did she really have? Some strange coincidences in a few old books. Was this quest to break a curse that may not even be real and save a kingdom that didn't know it was enslaved, if it was enslaved at all, worth her life?
She remembered running from DeKnave and narrowly escaping. She couldn't remember what he said, only that he meant to take her life. How had she escaped? What made her so sure now that this was right? That she could manage to defeat King Rothbart DeKnave? She felt so sure when she left. Where had that conviction gone? Now all she could think of was saving her own skin.
Run. Run. But then she realized what she was doing. Her stupid feet were carrying her back. Towards the chamber and the ruins and the fighting. She stopped. She didn't have to go back. Why did this have to be her fight? She'd never even met her parents. DeKnave hadn't destroyed the kingdom. Sure it was going through a rough patch but, it was still standing. But he'd burn it down, a voice reminded her. He'd turn his own men to ash. If anything stood between him and security, if anything threatened his position it didn't matter who or what was in the way. Right now she was in the way. But he didn't know it yet. He hasn't seen her at the ruins. She'd faced him but he wasn't after her now. She could slip in while everyone was distracted.
"You should just go. This isn't one of your stories where the hero escapes and then saves the day and lives happily ever after." But she knew she was kidding herself. She couldn't turn around. Not this time.
Anike gave it all she had, ran with all her might. Maybe she couldn't save anyone in the end but, she wouldn't be caught. Please. Please. Please. Oh Stars, don't let then see me.
Madam Rumbel was still fighting but it looked like a losing battle. Fortunately however the doppelganger no longer had her eye on the chamber. This was probably her best chance. So now of course her stupid feet wouldn't move. "Deep breath." Forget everything else. She remembered Fabian saying when she was first learning archery. Shut out all distractions and focus on the target. "Right. Let's go." A moment passed. Then another. And then she ran head first into the madness.
